Proxy Interface Components for Legacy Automation Data Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in integrating components with differing data formats, leading to communication barriers between legacy and newer components, which hampers efficient operation and data interpretation.
Innovation Solution
A system tool that identifies and recommends proxy-interface components to translate data between legacy and newer components, enabling seamless communication and data interpretation within the industrial automation system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If legacy components and newer components are integrated directly without translation, then device complexity is reduced, but communication compatibility deteriorates due to differing data formats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy component as an intermediary between legacy components and newer components. This proxy component receives data from legacy components in their native format and translates it into formats compatible with newer components, thereby resolving the communication compatibility issue without requiring direct integration between incompatible components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If proxy components are introduced to translate data between components, then communication compatibility is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional translation layers
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy component is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as a data translator between different formats, serves as a communication bridge between legacy and newer components, and can potentially perform data validation and formatting operations. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by consolidating multiple needs into a single component.
3Ease of operation
If direct integration of components with differing data formats is attempted, then ease of operation is maintained, but loss of information occurs due to data format incompatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy component serves as an intermediary that preserves data integrity during translation. It receives complete data from legacy components, interprets the source format, and translates it accurately into the target format required by newer components, preventing information loss that would occur with direct integration attempts.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial automation component may receive design information associated with an arrangement of one or more industrial automation components in an industrial automation system and identify a first portion of the industrial automation components in the industrial automation system that is unable to interface with a second portion of industrial automation components based on the design information. The industrial automation component may then generate a list of industrial automation components based on the first portion of the industrial automation components and the second portion of industrial automation components, wherein each of the list of industrial automation components is configured to translate a first set of data associated with the first portion of the industrial automation components to a second set of data configured to be at least partly interpretable by the second portion of industrial automation components.